N selfe



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

N. SELFB. APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSION AND EXPANSION-OF AIR, GASES, AND

V VAPORS FOR REFRIGERATING AND OTHER PURPOSES. No. 250,586. Patented Dec. 6,1881.

N. PETERS Phnlo-ljthagnphcr. wminmm n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 2.

N. SELPE. I APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSION AND EXPANSION OF AIR, GASES, AND

VAPOR S FOR REPRIGERATING AND OTHER PURPOSES. No. 250,586. Patented Dec. 6,1881.

UNtrEn STAT S PATENT Orrrce.

NORMAN SELFE, OF SIDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HUDSON BROTHERS, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSION AND EXPANSION OF AIR, GASES, AND VAPORS FOR REFRIGERATING AND OTHER PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,586, dated December 6, 1881, Application filed September 21, 1881. (No model.) Patented in New South Wales April 2, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NORMAN SELFE, of Sidney, in the colony of New South WVales, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Compression and Expansion of Air, Gases, and Vapors for Refrigerating and other Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

My said improvements are embraced in Letters Patent No. 812, dated April 2, 1880, granted to me by the government of New South Wales.

The invention relates more particularly to refrigerating apparatus in which air or gases I 5 are compressed by successive stages or operations, and cooled between the successive stages or operations by being passed through heatexchangers or surface condensers or coolers, whereby the heat rendered sensible at each stage of the compression is abstracted before the air or gas is subjected to the next stage of compression. The heat rendered sensible at each stage of compression can thus he imparted to other substances and utilized instead of being carried away by condensing-water, and

the'air or gas canbe highly compressed without the inconvenience of the great heat and loss of power attending the use of ordinary compressors.

The invention consists in the combination, with a compressor and an engine or primemover for working the same, of a supplementary engine operated by vapor generated from a volatile liquid by the heat rendered sensible in the compressor itself. Ether or other volatile liquid may be passed through the aforesaid heat-exchangers or surface-condensers, and the heat rendered sensible by the compression of air or gas will generate a vapor,

40 which, being applied to the piston of the supplemeutary engine, will operate the same and furnish a part of the power necessary to work the machine, and will reduce the amount of condensing-water necessary to remove the re- 4 5 mainder of the heat rendered sensible by compression.

The invention also consists in the combination, with the compressor and its operatingengine or prime mover, of both the supplementary engine operated by vapor generated from a volatile liquid by the heat rendered sensible by compression, and a supplementary engine or engines operated by the expansive force of air or vapor compressed by the aforesaid compressor, whereby I provide for the very economical operation of the apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a partly-sectional plan of a refrigerating room and apparatus constructed and arranged according to my invention; and Fig. 2 represents a similar view of an apparatus of modified form.

Referring first to Fig. 1, A designates a cooling room or chamber, which may be constructed in any suitable manner, and is provided with a surrounding air-space, A, and with double doors A A B designates the cylinder of a steam-engine, which constitutes the prime mover of the machine or apparatus, and may be of any suita- 7o ble construction. B designates the cylinder of a compressor, or rather a compressing-cylinder, which may likewise be of any suitable construction; and B designates a second compressing-cylinder, which is of smaller diameter than the cylinder B.

G designates the cylinder of an engine which is to be worked bythe expansion of compressed air or gas, and O designates the cylinder of a similar engine, but larger in capacity than the cylinder 0.

D designates the cylinder of an engine to be operated by the pressure of a vapor generated from a volatile liquidsuch as ammonia or ether-by the heat rendered sensible by compression.

E F G H designate what I term heat-exchangers, each of which comprises a shell or body, with a small chamber at each end, and tubes extending from endto end thereof, they being constructed like any ordinary surfacecondenser. The pistons of the several cylinders B B G are all connected to a common piston-rod, I, so as to move simultaneously, and the pistons of the several cylinders B D O are 5 all connected to another piston-rod, I.

J J designate pitman or connecting rods, wherebythe two piston-rods 1 I are connected with acrank-shaft, K, upon which are fly-wheels K K, and which is adapted to rotate in suit able bearings.

I would here remark that the purpose of the steam-engine B is to drive both the compress- I will now describe the several connecting air-pipes of the apparatus.

a, designates a pipe leading from the coolingroom A to the compressorcylinder B, and constituting the suction-pipe therefor.

b designates the discharge-pipe of the compressor-cylinder B, through which the air is conducted into the body of the heat-exchanger E, from which it passes through a pipe, 0, to the second compressor-cylinder, B From the compressor-cylinder 13 the fully-compressed air is conducted through a pipe, d, to and through the tubes of the second heatexchanger, F, from which it passes through a pipe, 6, to and through the tubes of the third heat-eXchanger,G, from which itissues through a pipe, f. The heat-exchanger G is in fact a condenser, and has proper inlet and outlet pipes, G G for water or. other cooling-fluid. The air, which is now deprived of the greater part of the heat rendered sensible by compression, passes through the pipef to the engine-cylinder 0, wherein it expands and produces a certain amount of power, and from the cylinder C it passes through the pipe g to and through the heat-exchanger H, and thence through a pipe, h, to the larger cylinder, 0, wherein it still further expands and produces more power. From the cylinder 0 the air passes through a pipe, 2', wherein is a chamber, t", to the cooling-room A.

I will now describe the circulating-pipes for volatile liquid and the vapor generated therefrom.

j designates a pipe for volatile liquid, leading from the fourth heat-exchanger, H, and having connected with it a reservoir, j, for volatile liquid, and a pump, j for producing the circulation thereof. (The pump here represented is of the rotary class.) liquid passes through the pipej, to and through the tubes of the first heat-exchanger, E, wherein it is raised in temperature and partly volatilized or vaporized thence through a pipe, 70, to and through the body of the second heatexchanger, F, wherein its vaporization is completed thence the vapor passes by a pipe, 1, to the cylinder D, wherein it does its work, and from which it escapes through a pipe, 111, to and through the tubes of the fourth heatexchanger, H, wherein it is cooled and liquefied.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The engine B being set in operation, the sev- The volatile eral pistons will be set in motion and air will be drawn through the pipe (6 into the cylinder B. This air on being compressed will be reduced in volume and increased in temperature through some of the latent heat becoming sensible, and on being discharged through the pipe b into the heat-eXcha nger E this air will impart some of its heat through the metallic surfaces thereof and become cooler, and at the same timeit will deposit a portion of any moisture it may contain on the metallic surfaces. The air will then pass through the pipe 0 into the compressor-cylinder B where it will he further reduced in volume and again increased in temperature, after which it will pass through the pipe 1 into the heat-exchanger F, whereit will part with more heat and deposit more moisture. The air then passes through the pipe 6 to and through the tubes of the condenser G, where it deposits more moisture and is further cooled, if necessary, after which it passes through the pipe 1" to the cylinder C, where it will give out power by its expansion. The air passes from the cylinder G by the pipe 9 to and through the body of the heat-exchanger H, and by the pipe h to the cylinder 0, in which it is again expanded and gives out power, being still further reduced in temperature and increased in volume. The air passes from the cylinder 0 by the pipe '5 into the chamber A or airspace A, where it takes up heat from the articles to be kept cold and then re-enters the apparatus through the pipe a, as before.

While the above-described operation is being performed ether or some other volatile liquid is pumped by means of the pump j into and through the tubes of the heat-exchanger E, where it is vaporized by heat abstracted from the air, after which itpasses through the pipe to and through the body of the heateXchanger F. From the heat-exchanger F the vapor passes by a pipe, l, to the cylinder D, wherein it performs its work by expansion, and from which it passes by the pipe at to and through the tubes of the heat-exchanger H, where its heat is abstracted by the air and it is liquefied. ether from the compressed air will render less water necessary in the condenser G, and will give out power in the engine D and assist in driving the whole machine. When the chamber A is reduced to the desired temperature the pipes at and i may be disconnected from the chamber itself and connected with the jacket A, to prevent the infiltration of heated air and keep the chamber cool without changing the air therein.

Fig. 2 represents another form of similar apparatus, but with one compressing-pump and one expansion-engine for the air, and one engine for the secondary vapor, details being omitted for simplicity.

A is the cylinder of a pump for compressing air.

B is the cylinder of an engine worked by compressed air.

G is the cylinder of a vapor-engine.

The heat thus taken up by the 'D is a surface condenser or vaporer fitted with tubes or other metallic surfaces for transmitting heat.

E is a surface-condenser similar to D.

F is a vapor-condenser similar to D.

G is a crank-shaft connected to the pistonrods of A, B, and O by means of a pitman or connecting rod, G, or other suitable means.

a is a pipe supplying the air or gas to be compressed to cylinder A.

bis a pipe leading compressed air or gas from compressor A, and forming part of vaporer D.

c is acontinuation of pipe b, forming part of surface condenser or exchanger E.

d is a further continuation of pipe 1), conveying compressed air or gas to expansion-engine B.

e is the exhaustpipe of expansion-engine B, leading to vapor-condenser F.

fis acontinuation of 6, being portion of condenser or exchanger F.

h h are stop-cocks or traps for removing deposited water.

k k'are pipes to h h.

I, Fig.2, is apumpforremovingvolatileliquid from condenser F to condenser D in the direction shown by the arrows.

m m are gas-pipes conveying vapor under pressure to gas or vapor engine 0.

n n is the exhaust-pipe to engine 0, conveying vapor under reduced pressure to F.

0 and p are pipes for the inlet and outlet of condensing-water to surface-condenser E.

g is a pipe leading off cooled air to where it is required.

On the machine thus described being set in motion through power applied to the crankshaft Gr, air is admitted by pipe 61 and compressed by the piston of compressor A, when its latent heat is rendered sensible and is communicated to the metalof the compressor and exhaust-pipe b, by which it leaves. The compressed air then .passes through pipe 0 into surface-condenser E,where it is cooled by coming in indirect contact with the circulating water. The compressed air is then passed to expansion-engine B, where it exerts its power upon the piston, performs work, parts with heat, and then exhausts by pipe 0 into pipef, which constitutes part of vapor-condenser F, at the same time becoming cold from the reexpansion or released pressure. The cold air then passes by pipeg to where it is required,

and any moisture depositedis drawn off at h and 70. While the above-described operations are being performed the pump 1, Fig. 2, draws liquid either from condenser F and discharges it into condenser D, where, in coming in contact with pump Aand pipe I), it is converted into vapor under pressure. The vapor is then delivered by pipe on to the vapor or gas engine 0, where it expands against the piston, performs work,

becomes reduced in temperature, and then passes by exhaust-pipe n into condenser F, where it is cooled by contact with the pipe f, containing cold air, to be again liquefied, when it is again drawn off by pump 1, Fig. 2, and the operation is continuous.

In either of the foregoing arrangements the compression and expansion cylinders can be fitted with jackets for the circulation of volatile material or water, for the purpose of taking up or abstracting heat from the air, and additional exchangers can be applied on pipes 01, if desired.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a compressor and an engine or prime mover for working the same, of a supplementary engine operated by vapor generated from a volatile liquid by the heat rendered sensible in the compressor it self, substantially as and for the purpose speci fied.

2. The combination, with a compressor and an engine or prime mover for working the same, of a supplementary engine operated by vapor generated from a volatile liquid by the heat of the compressed air or gas, and one or more supplementary engines operated by the expansion of the compressed air or gas, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, in an air-compressing apparatus, of the compressing-cylinders B B of diiferent sizes, the steam-engine B, the supplementary vapor-engine I), the supplementary air-engines O O, of different sizes, the heatexchangersE FGH,and the connecting-pipes for air and volatile liquid and vapor, all arranged and operating substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto sign my name this 11th day of June, 1881.

NORMAN SELFE.

Witnesses:

I. HOMAN, W. HUMPHREYS. 

